Strong And Silent As Can Be
by Daladakea
Summary: No spoilers! Read and find out! (I may eventually do a real summary, but not for now.) Song in here is mine. Please don't use it without permission.:) Enjoy!:)


**A/N Characters belong to James Dashner, song is mine. Please don't use the song without permission.:) Enjoy and please leave reviews and advice!:)**

 _I'm a leader, what does that mean?_

 _I'm someone responsible for things,_

 _No teen should be!_

Minho had it rough. He was leading the entire camp of Immunes as they built their new home. It was strange, Thomas was supposed to be the leader here, he was the one who'd gotten them out. But somehow, Minho just started shouting orders on the first day there and the people sort of just accepted him as a leader. It was great some days, Minho knew he was a natural, but most days, it was stressful and he felt he shouldn't have to decide everything.

 _I feel lost and alone many days,_

 _Now that he's gone, there's a hollow place,_

 _in my heart!_

Minho missed Newt. There was simply no denying it. He felt lost and alone without Newt's compassion. Thomas was smart, resourceful and innovative. Minho was obviously the leader, but Newt, well, Newt had been the caretaker. And in this place, Newt would've held the children when they had nightmares, would've played with them, would've kept them on track for their chores. And he would've been a nice companion for the older people who had a more difficult time with the work and adjustment. But Newt was gone, and Newt was missed.

 _Someone hear my strangled cries,_

 _Someone see the tears in my eyes!_

 _Someone please know my heart is breaking,_

 _Know how much it's taking_

 _to stay strong._

Some nights, while everyone was asleep, Minho went out and sat by the beach. He'd always try to remember without crying, not wanting anyone to find him in that vulnerable position, but some days, well, some days he just couldn't help it. He almost hoped that Thomas or one of the other Glader buddies would hear him, comfort him, but he was too good at hiding his pain, because apparently, nobody knew. Nobody knew how often he bawled his eyes out, nobody knew how shattered his heart felt. No one had told him,but no one needed to. Newt was dead he knew. He didn't know how he'd died, but he knew he was gone. It was terrible, those days when he thought of Newt randomly and almost cried while in the middle of a conversation or a tedious bit of work. But he'd mask it quickly, and to his knowledge, nobody knew the difference.

 _Some days strange as it may seem,_

 _I have no hope and no dream._

 _Sometimes it feels like the easiest days_

 _are the ones that are the hardest to face._

The days without much work, like a day they spent completely at rest while the children played, adults spoke and elderly people thought and spun tales to tell to the teens who'd listen, Minho would steal away, not able to face the day. He'd walk back to the camping area and hide out in his tree branch shelter. He'd just lie there, trapped in emotional pain. He'd see Newt, always see Newt.

 _I'm in a world that's Paradise,_

 _but somehow still,_

 _it feels like the darkest nights,_

 _of my life._

One of those easy hard days, Thomas walked back to grab something for one of the children. As he ducked into the shelter that he shared with Minho and a few others, he saw tears streaming down Minho's face. Minho didn't realize he was there at first. He had his eyes shut tight, trying to quell the tears, trying with all his might. Thomas knelt beside him.

 _Silent and strong,_

 _tears hidden from view,_

 _But oh! My friend,_

 _how much I miss you!_

Thomas stayed next to Minho for a while, just sitting there with a hand on his shoulder. He had to leave to get that thing for the kid, but when all the Immunes trickled back to camp at sundown, he returned.

"Minho, let's go for a walk."

They walked for a while, and Thomas told Minho how he'd been the one to kill Newt. In short, Minho was enraged, and very sad. He exploded in fury and beat Thomas up a little, and then realized he wasn't actually angry at him. Minho didn't know what he felt anymore.

"I want to be alone Thomas." Minho said, his voice echoing anger, but mostly sounded on the verge of tears again. He didn't want Thomas to continue to see him in this vulnerable position. Thomas left him alone. They walked back to the Immune camp and went to bed, Minho sleeping outside. Soon, when everyone was asleep, he got up and did what he did best. He ran.

He'd been running for a good fifteen minutes or so, and finally, he collapsed on the ground. He was crying again, hard, but not as hard as he needed to.

 _Why did he leave?!_

 _What did he say?_

 _Did he have any idea_

 _that he was throwing his life away?_

"Why Newt? Why?!" Minho yelled. He beat the ground, he sobbed against his arm. He was trapped in a world of loss, no way out of it. Little did he know, someone was watching him. An old friend was there with him, holding him. Soon, Minho fell into a deep sleep.

 _Suddenly one night, he appears before me in a dream,_

 _and I finally see,_

 _the amazing thing I'd hoped to see!_

 _My friend standing there so happily,_

 _holding open his arms to me!_

In a blurred but beautiful dreamscape, Newt walked toward him. Minho gave a cry of delight.

"Newt!" His strained whisper was quickly followed by racking sobs as he fell into his friend's arms. Newt held him close, feeling his friend shake with the force of his sobs.

 _And my tears of months long strain,_

 _pour down my cheeks in a blissful rain!_

 _He holds me tight until finally he says,_

" _I miss you too, but I have to leave,_

 _This was never meant to be,_

 _I just wanted to try,_

 _to stop_ _your_ _cries and tell you,_

 _to stay strong!_

 _Hold on for the ride,_

 _Of life!"_

Finally, Minho's crying subsided, and he felt refreshed and happy for the first time in a very long while. Newt spoke to him gently, saying that the dead were not supposed to speak with the living, and he was only breaking the rule to help Minho to get through the loss and get back to life. And then, Minho woke up. He cried again, a little bit, but for the most part, he felt like he didn't have to anymore.

Suddenly, he realized Thomas had been watching him for a while. He told Thomas the whole story.

"What do you think, Thomas? Was it really him? Or just my mind trying to cope?"

"I guess we'll never know." Thomas said.

"I'm sorry for beating you up last night. I understand why you did it. You did the right thing Thomas." Minho said. The two had hugged and cried a bit together, and Minho could finally see just how much the guilt was eating at Thomas. Thomas was suffering more than Minho.

But finally, the tales had been told, the tears had been shed, the discussions had and both were ready to begin living in their Paradise.

Unbeknownst to the two teenagers, their friend Newt really had visited Minho in his dreams that night and really had spoken to him.

"I love you shanks. See ya when the day comes. Until then, enjoy your lives." He said, smiling. He flew off to the ghost dimension, but promised himself he'd check on them periodically.

 **A/N Hey, so tell me what you think!:) Again, song is mine, please don't use without permission.:)**


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